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1 Kings 8:6-9

The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the cherubim’s wings. For the cherubim spread their wings out over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside. They are there to this day. There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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1 Kings 8:6-9 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, with all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of David’s city, which is Zion. All the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. All the elders of Israel came, and the priests picked up the ark. They brought up Yahweh’s ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. The priests and the Levites brought these up. King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the cherubim’s wings. For the cherubim spread their wings out over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside. They are there to this day. There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled Yahweh’s house, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house. Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the cherubim’s wings.

    For the cherubim spread their wings out over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.

    The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside. They are there to this day.

    There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

  • KJV King James Version

    And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.

    For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

    And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.

    There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto its place, into the Sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

    For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

    And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place, even before the Sanctuary; but they could not be seen without; and there they are unto this day.

    There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

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Cross-references (44)

  • Exodus 25:21 (v9) You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the covenant that I will give you.
  • Hebrews 9:4 (v9) having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna,…
  • Exodus 40:20 (vv8–9) He took and put the covenant into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark.
  • Deuteronomy 10:2-5 (v9) I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.” So I made an ark…
  • 2 Samuel 6:17 (v6) They brought in Yahweh’s ark, and set it in its place, in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt…
Show all 43 cross-references
  • 1 Kings 6:19 (v6) He prepared an inner sanctuary in the middle of the house within, to set the ark of Yahweh’s covenant there.
  • 1 Kings 6:27 (v6) He set the cherubim within the inner house. The wings of the cherubim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall,…
  • Exodus 25:13-15 (v8) You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry…
  • Exodus 26:33-34 (v6) You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring the ark of the covenant in there within the veil. The veil shall separate the…
  • Exodus 34:27-28 (v9) Yahweh said to Moses, “Write these words; for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” He was there…
  • Exodus 37:4-5 (v8) He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
  • Deuteronomy 4:13 (v9) He declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments. He wrote them on two stone tablets.
  • 2 Chronicles 5:10 (v9) There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when…
  • 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (v9) Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and Yahweh’s glory…
  • Exodus 13:21 (v9) Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that…
  • Exodus 14:24 (v9) In the morning watch, Yahweh looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.
  • Exodus 16:10 (v9) As Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, Yahweh’s glory appeared…
  • Exodus 16:33 (v9) Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot, and put an omer-full of manna in it, and lay it up before Yahweh, to be kept throughout your generations.”
  • Exodus 24:7-8 (v9) He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “We will do all that Yahweh has said, and be…
  • Exodus 24:16-18 (v9) Yahweh’s glory settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the middle of the…
  • Exodus 25:20-22 (v6) The cherubim shall spread out their wings upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces…
  • Exodus 37:9 (v6) The cherubim spread out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the…
  • Exodus 40:20-21 (v6) He took and put the covenant into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark. He brought the ark into…
  • Exodus 40:34-35 (v9) Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. Moses wasn’t able to enter into the Tent of Meeting,…
  • Leviticus 16:2 (v9) and Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy…
  • Numbers 9:15 (v9) On the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the Tent of the Testimony. At evening it was over the…
  • Numbers 17:10 (v9) Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the covenant, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you…
  • Deuteronomy 31:26 (v9) “Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, that it may be there for a witness against you.
  • Joshua 4:9 (v8) Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood;…
  • 1 Samuel 4:4 (v6) So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim; and the…
  • 2 Samuel 6:2 (v6) David arose, and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from there God’s ark, which is called by the…
  • 1 Kings 8:4 (v6) They brought up Yahweh’s ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. The priests and the Levites brought…
  • 1 Kings 8:21 (v9) There I have set a place for the ark, in which is Yahweh’s covenant, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land…
  • 2 Chronicles 5:7 (v6) The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under…
  • 2 Chronicles 5:9 (v8) The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark in front of the inner sanctuary; but they were not seen outside;…
  • 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (v9) when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and when they lifted up their…
  • Psalms 80:1 (v6) Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who sit above the cherubim, shine out.
  • Psalms 99:1 (v6) Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He sits enthroned among the cherubim. Let the earth be moved.
  • Isaiah 37:16 (v6) “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, who is enthroned among the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the…
  • Ezekiel 10:4 (v9) Yahweh’s glory mounted up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the…
  • Ezekiel 10:5 (v6) The sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Almighty when he speaks.
  • Matthew 28:15 (v8) So they took the money and did as they were told. This saying was spread abroad among the Jews, and continues until today.
  • Revelation 15:8 (v9) The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power. No one was able to enter into the temple until the seven…

43 distinct cross-references across this passage (44 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (16 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv6, 8, 9 That is, the Kohathites, Num. 4:5.

That is, the Kohathites, Num. 4:5.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv6–9 1Ki 8:6 And the priests brought in the ark…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv6, 8, 9 Into the oracle of the house, i.e. to that…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv6–9 And the priests brought in the ark of the…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv6, 8, 9 Cherubim - Of Solomon's new made cherubim, not of…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv8–9 Verse 8. And there they are unto this day.]…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv6, 9 1Ki 8:6-8. Under the wings of the cherubim —…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv8–9 It was forbidden to withdraw the staves wholly from…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv6, 8, 9 Wings. These covered the smaller cherubim, upon the ark.…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv8–9 they drew out the staves--a little way, so as…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv6, 8, 9 6. Under the wings of the cherubim — That…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–9 6. even under the wings of the cherubims] The…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv6, 9 (6-8) And the priests brought in the ark.—It is…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv6–9 And the priests brought in the ark of the…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv6, 9 into the inner room of the house, to the…
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv8–9 8:8 In accordance with the law (Exod 25:15), the…
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